Bangladesh unrest: Longer the interim govt stays in power, higher the risk of army's political involvement, says Kugelman
Michael Kugelman, Director of the South Asia Institute at The Wilson Center, said on Saturday that the longer Bangladesh's interim government stays in power, the higher the chances of the military assuming a more definitive role in the country's politics.
His remarks come amid ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh, following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which has left the timing of general elections uncertain.
Kugelman emphasized that the Awami League, Hasina's party, is currently sidelined, with no representation in the interim government. However, he noted that if unrest persists, the Awami League might regain favour in future elections.
In an interview with ANI, Kugelman said, «If we have a year or so go by, if the economy is not improving, if unrest continues to play out, I think the Awami League could be favoured in elections. Now, I would just say this as well when we're talking about future political scenarios. The longer the interim government is in power, I think that raises the chance that the army will take on a more definitive role in politics. My sense is the army is not the army it was yesterday. In decades past when it was staging coups and had more of a political role, it has seemed comfortable staying behind the barracks over the last few decades, definitely since 2009 when Sheikh Hasina came in. But with this continued vacuum and with these uncertainties and with no clear path toward an election and interim government that continues to be there, the army is, I think, in a
